Give child marriage the finger It is every girl’s right to choose if, who and when they marry. Yet every day, 41,000 girls are forced into child marriage. These girls are taken out of school and can face a life of isolation and even abuse. Thousands will die in childbirth or suffer horribly as a result of falling pregnant before their bodies are ready. - See more at: http://www.plan-uk.org/because-i-am-a-girl/ring/#sthash.GquMQcY0.dpuf

1. GIVE CHILD
MARRIAGE
THE FINGER
#ENDCHILDMARRIAGE

2. Niger
36%
Bangladesh
Central African Republic
Chad
29%
Eritrea
Guinea
Nigeria
20%
Ethiopia
16%
India
Sierra Leone
18%
Every year 15 million girls are married before the age of 18. They lose their childhood, their education
and their ability to make decisions for themselves.
Worldwide 720 million girls and 156 million boys have been forced to marry before they turn 18.
It’s a global problem that has many negative consequences.

3. Child marriage carries with it many
risks including:
• Increased risk of physical abuse
• Higher mortality rates of both
child brides and their babies
• Higher rate of HIV/AIDS
• Higher illiteracy levels

4. Latifa from Tanzania was just 15 when she
was forced to marry a man twice her age.
He beat her and forced her to have sex with
him. Nine months later she nearly died
giving birth to her baby.
50,000 teenagers die from pregnancy
and birth complications every year.

5. Child marriage rates are much higher in the developing world, where girls and children have few, if
any, rights. Even in countries where they do have legislation protecting them these laws are
often not enforced.
1 in 9 girls in the developing world are married before their 15th birthday.
Worldwide 1 in 4 girls are married before they turn 18.

6. The highest rates of child marriage are found in African nations. 0f the 10 countries with the highest
rates of child marriage 8 are in Africa.
Niger is the country with the highest rate, where
75% of girls are married before 18.
But in terms of sheer numbers, India has the
highest amount of child brides, accounting for
1 in 3 child brides worldwide.
75%

7. In some countries it is an accepted cultural
practice, even when laws specifically ban it.
Girls from poor households are more likely
to be married off, as they are seen as an
economic burden.
Education is also an important factor. 63%
of girls with no education are married by
18, while for those who complete secondary
schooling the figure is just 20%.
13%Of the world’s
population has been
affected by
child marriage.
That’s approximately
900 millionpeople.
7 billion
people in
the world
Child marriage has
many causes

8. Sadly, child marriage is also cyclical in
nature. Studies show that daughters of
young uneducated mothers are more
likely to drop out of school putting
them at risk of marrying young and
repeating the cycle.

9. Ghazala, from India, was married
at 13. Now 18, she already has three
children. Her husband struggles to find
work, so she must earn a living, run the
household and look after the family.

10. Ending child marriage is a complex
and difficult task. It requires several
distinct but unified approaches:
• Enshrining children and girls’ rights in law
• Providing girls with support and protection
• Educating communities about the negative impacts
of child marriage
• Working with community leaders to change attitudes
• Promoting education for girls, especially to
secondary level

11. We found Mariama, 13, four days
before her marriage to an older man.
We worked with local authorities to
stop the marriage and Mariama is
now back in school.

12. Although rates of child marriage
are slowing it isn’t enough to
keep up with population growth.
If they don’t reduce further
then by 2050 1.2 BILLION girls
will be married as children.
That’s the same as the
population of India.
That’s equal
to the population
of India

13. Give child marriage the finger at
plan-uk.org/ring